The Karnataka Health Department’s decision to bring the ambitious Yeshasvini Co-operative Farmers’ Healthcare Scheme under the ambit of the department’s Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust (SAST) has attracted stiff opposition from farmers, cooperative societies and even elected representatives.
They argue that this flagship programme of the Cooperative Department, one of the largest in the country, is one of the most successful models that has benefited lakhs of farmers since 2003 and should not be meddled with. Incidentally, strengthening Yeshasvini was one of the promises made by the Congress in its manifesto during the 2013 Assembly elections.
Cashless treatment
The scheme covers 823 defined surgical procedures and enables members to avail themselves of cashless treatment up to ₹2 lakh per family member for a minimal annual contribution of ₹300 per member in rural areas and up to ₹2.5 lakh per family member for a minimal annual contribution of ₹710 per member in urban areas.
Kodihalli Chandrashekar, president of the Karnataka Rajya Raita Sangha, said he would write to the Chief Minister urging him to withdraw the decision. “As of now, farmers are enrolled through cooperative societies and their premiums are deducted without any hassle. That is why there is no drop out and members are increasing. The Health Department has taken the decision this without realising the implications,” he told The Hindu .
Kurubur Shanthakumar, president of the Karnataka State Sugarcane Growers Association, demanded to know why such a major decision was taken without even a pilot project.
This argument gains significance in the context where a slew of health schemes implemented by the Health Department through SAST — including Vajpayee Arogyashree for BPL families, Rajiv Arogya Bhagya for APL families, Jyothi Sanjeevini for government employees, Mukhyamantri Santwana for accident victims, and the Centre’s Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) — are facing trouble. From the last two months, some of the empanelled hospitals have stopped enrolling new patients under these schemes, protesting against the delay in payment.
C.N. Manjunath, director of Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and a member of Yeshasvini Trust, said the scheme, jointly funded by farmers and the government, covers only secondary care procedures and subsidised out-patient services. The other schemes cover tertiary care procedures. “The premium is deducted while disbursing loans or making payments to the farmers so that the farmers do not drop out. It is functioning effectively and enrolment will become difficult if the scheme is brought under the Health Department,” he said.
However, Shalini Rajneesh, Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, argued that the scheme would not lose its identity and the idea of bringing it under the department’s fold was only for better coordination and administrative purposes.
“It is for integrating various healthcare schemes so that there is a single system of managing data and health records which will also take care of duplication of services. Last time we took over RSBY from the Labour Department and we are now working on Yeshasvini,” she said. She said as of now, the enrolment of members will continue to be through cooperative societies.
